13th Annual Blues Bash Taking Shape

Hi Folks! July 26-27 is the date set for the 14th annual Big Bend Blues Bash at Pomeroy’s Riverside Amphitheater. Here’s a quick glimpse of the lineup as it stands. Please check back often as more bands and events are added to the lineup. Questions? Please email Jackie at jackie@courtstreetgrill.com. Look forward to seeing you this Summer!

The Muggs, the Ugliest Band in the World, is an American blues-rock band from Detroit, Michigan. Formed in February 2000, the band features guitarist Danny Methric, bassist Tony DeNardo and drummer Todd Glass. The Muggs are many times over winners of the famed Detroit Music Industry awards including Best Blues Artist and Best Rock Band and stars of several automobile television commercials for Chevy and Dodge. A four-on-the-floor powerhouse of a band, they’ve enjoyed opening for countless classic rock and national acts including Mountain, Robin Trower, Cactus, Savoy Brown, Ten Years After, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple/Black Sabbath, Johnny Lang and the North Mississippi Allstars. The Muggs popularity continues to grow, as exhibited by their making the “100 HOT Unsigned Bands” list in Music Connection Magazine in December 2008, and by their over 86,000 fans and fast-growing facebook following. The Muggs will rock the Main Stage at the Blues Bash, Friday, July 26th. Please check back for times.

The Gas House Gorillasare a New York City based band lead by singer Rick Fink and bassist Crusher Carmen. Heralded

Gas House Gorillas

as God’s favorite Rhythm & Blues band, the Gorillas are considered by many to be the most fearlessly uninhibited performers ever witnessed and a sure fire guarantee for a rippin’ good time! Take it from those of us who know, they DO NOT disappoint. The band describes their sound as “Punk Americana” a broad range of styles that include Jump Blues, Rock & Roll, Swing, Cajun Music and early Punk Rock. Artists as diverse as Wynonie Harris, Groucho Marx, Sam Cooke, Fats Waller, and The Ramones. Burning down clubs and festivals all over the country for the past eight years, 2013 will see the release of GHG’s next album on Lanark Records. The GHG will play the Main Stage at the Blues Bash on Friday, July 26th. Please check back for times.

Todd Wolfe

Todd Wolfe Bandare based in New York state and recall the days when “men were men and amps were amps.” Todd began playing on the New York scene back in 1979 with his band Nitetrain, a trio that clearly reflected Todd’s influences—60s bands like Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac and other bluesy-rocking-jamming bands. The wave of guitar players that included Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Bloomfield were and are influential and evident in Todd’s style and approach to guitar-playing. His next venture was Troy & the Tornados, a band based in the New York metro area. Todd met two women in this time period that would eventually play a part in his guitar-playing and song-writing experience: Carla Olson of the Textones and Sheryl Crow, at the time an unknown back-up singer. By the late ’80s, Sheryl had sat in several times with the Tornados in New York City. Eventually Todd decided to fly to Los Angeles and write with Sheryl and showcase their new band in hopes of a record deal. Nothing came of this particular venture, but these two would find each other again on the same stage just a few years up the road! The Todd Wolfe Band with Toddd on guitar and vocals, drummer Roger Voss and bassist Justine Gardner play with real tubes, tones crackling with a blues-a-delic sound reminiscent of the best rock and roll bands of the ’60s. Relentless touring, and spreading their legend from coast to coast and shore to shore, has secured the Todd Wolfe Band as one of the top power trios in the Blues world today. TWB will play the Grill Saturday night, July 27th at 10pm.

National Blues scene this past decade. Castiglia’s history is as colorful as his home town of Miami, Florida. He got a big break after meeting Junior Wells in 1996, and became Junior’s lead guitar player until Wells passing in 1998. The Kid then went on tour as band leader for Blues songstress Sandra Hall. In 2002 the Kid returned to South Florida, launched a solo career and his first CD, Burn, a self-release collaborating with his long time friend Graham Wood Drout. In 2006, he released A Stone’s Throw, his second album and first release for Blues Leaf Record. His 2008 CD, These are the Days, contained five original Castiglia songs, including a tribute to his mentor Junior Wells, “Godfather of the Blues.” These are the Days earned a Blues Music Award nomination for “Song of the Year” for the original track, “Bad Year Blues.” Castiglia was nominated again by the Illinois Blues Blast Awards and walked away a winner for “Song of the Year” for “Bad Year Blues,” as well as being nominated for the “Sean Costello Rising Star Award.” The latest release, Keepin’ On features five new original tunes, plus covers of John Lee Hooker, Mack Rice, T-Bone Walker, Robert Nighthawk and Bob Dylan. Always a crowd favorite at the Bash, The Kid will play the Main Stage, Saturday night. Time TBA.

Bernard Allison, headliner for the 2013 Blues Bash, is the guitar-playing, singing, and songwriting son of late legendary

2013 headliner, Bernard Allison

blues guitarist Luther Allison. True to form for this “chip off the old block,” the young Allison injects every bit as much energy into his live shows as his father did. Bernard counts among his influences icons like Albert King, Muddy Waters, and Freddie King, and later, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter. He began accompanying his famous father to blues festivals in the early ’70s. There, he was introduced to a who’s who of Chicago blues stars: Muddy Waters, Hound Dog Taylor, and Albert King, among others. When he was seven or eight, he began having aspirations of becoming a guitar slinger like his father. Luther Allison was more than just a casual record collector, and so Bernard benefited from his father and brothers’ collections of classic blues and gospel. Bernard released his stunning U.S. debut, Keepin’ the Blues Alive, in early 1997, receiving a great deal of critical acclaim. Bernard will headline the Main Stage, Saturday night. Time TBA.

2 Responses to 13th Annual Blues Bash Taking Shape

BRIGITTE BORJA on May 8, 2013 at 1:52 AM

Hi, We would like to participate in your event ” BIG BEND BLUE BASH”
We would like to know if you have food vendors. We are Greek food vendors . We have great staff and food.
Please let us know if you have space available.
Thank you very much!

I am working on my 2014 schedule and I would like an opportunity to perform at your blues blast in 2014. Please visit my website http://www.travishaddix.com for more about my band and me. Thank you for your time and consideration.